Justified Injustice
by stamper55555
Summary: When nothing has happened for a week at NCIS, everyone just wants a case. Until McGee's cousin is kidnapped. The team rushes to help, and Gibbs puts McGee in chage, per rule 38. But is he up to the challenge? And just what is the kidnapper's motive?
1. Kidnapped

A/N: Hooray! I finally figured out how to do an author's note!

This is just something I came up with. For those of you who read Tying Up Loose Ends, this was born through writer's block. Sorry, I'm working on it. For those of you who don't, you should, I've heard it's really good from reviewers and friends.

Thank you to all of my readers, and here is Justified Injustice!

* * *

It had been a slow week.

All they'd been doing was going through piles of files, each case colder than the last. The area around McGee's desk was cluttered with crumpled paper balls, Tony's effort to keep his sanity. Unfortunately, it was having the opposite effect on McGee. All he wanted was a case.

He was enjoying the peace and quiet at the moment. Gibbs had sent Tony and Ziva out for lunch. He'd gotten too annoyed with all of the fighting, and had finally sent them out.

His peace was short-lived, however; shattered by the sound of his phone ringing.

He sighed as he picked up the phone. "McGee."

Gibbs looked up from the case he was working on. Across the bullpen he watched McGee's face transform from one of confusion to one of concern.

"I'll be there as soon as I can; we'll find her," he said as he hung up the phone. He quickly began grabbing his gear.

"Everything all right, McGee?"

"No. I think we've got a case."

Now Gibbs was confused. "All the three of you have been saying for the past week is, 'why don't we have a case?' and now it's not a good thing?"

"No, it's not. That was my uncle from Upper Moreland PD in Pennsylvania…"

* * *

Tony had chosen the longest route possible to get to the restaurant everyone had agreed on. Ziva was growing impatient, but he was enjoying the freedom away from the office.

His phone rang just as he was parking.

"DiNozzo," he answered, waving Ziva inside; she was waiting with her hand on the handle.

"Tony, I need you back here as soon as possible. We've got a case," Gibbs told him.

"Really?" Tony's excitement was evident both on his face and in his voice. He gave Ziva a thumbs-up through the window.

"You'd better wipe that grin off your face before McGee sees it."

"Why –?" he began, but Gibbs had already hung up.

Joining Ziva, Tony was confused.

"We've got a case," he told her.

"Finally!" she exclaimed.

"Not so fast. I think this one hits close to home for McGee."

"Did Gibbs tell you about it?"

"No, but he warned me not to look too happy around McGee."

"Well, here is our food now. Can we please take a more direct route back to work?"

* * *

"Here, Boss," Tony said, tossing Gibbs his burger. "Where's the McGeek?"

Gibbs shot him one of his infamous Gibbs-glares. "He left already. He wanted to be there first, by himself."

"Where exactly is 'there', Boss?" Tony asked.

"Willow Grove, Pennsylvania."

"Isn't that right outside of Philadelphia? Why are we going there?"

"Tim's cousin was kidnapped."

* * *

A/N: Sorry it's so short. I'm a busy girl, but I'll update as soon as I can.


	2. Rule 38

A/N: I got my second chapter done! I am so proud of myself!

* * *

McGee arrived at the house in an hour, half the time it should have taken him. He drove less like his law-abiding, careful self, and more like his always-in-a-hurry boss.

He stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. He wasn't going to enjoy what he had to do now, but it was his job, both as a good nephew and cousin, and as a federal agent.

He knocked on the door and let himself in.

Holding on for dear life as Gibbs sped along the highway, Tony suddenly thought

thought of something.

"Boss, since McGee was called in specifically, does that mean…?"

"Yep. Rule 38."

"But, Boss, he's just a probie!"

"Tony, he's been an agent for six years. You proved to me that you can lead your

own team, now give Tim his turn." His tone made it understood that there was no point in arguing.

After a moment of silence, Tony changed the subject. "So, how'd you get the Toothpick to let us take this one?"

"I told him we had a case," Gibbs said matter-of-factly.

"And that worked?" Ziva asked. "Gibbs, this is not technically our jurisdiction."

"That's what Leon said. So I told him that she's McGee's cousin, so we were going no matter what he had to say about it, and that she's as close to our jurisdiction as we've had in quite a while."

"But—"

"Ziva!" Tony interrupted. "We've got a case! It doesn't matter how it happened, Let's just find this girl and catch this dirtbag!"

Smack!

"Who do you think you are, DiNozzo? A soccer coach?"

"Sorry, Boss. I guess it's just been a while, and I thought a pep talk might get us back into the swing of things. And next time, could you keep your hands on the wheel? You drive badly enough without taking attention from the road to hit me!"

As he was talking, Gibbs looked up at his mirror and nodded.

Whack!

"Thank you, Boss," Tony muttered, rubbing the back of his head and glaring at Ziva, grinning in the backseat.

After greeting his anxious aunt and uncle, McGee had tried to comfort them, telling them that his team was one of the best, and that Gibbs wouldn't rest until their daughter was safe. But time got away from him, and one glance at the clock told him that the rest of the team would be arriving soon, especially if Gibbs was behind the wheel. He sighed.

"Uncle Sam, Aunt Barbara, my team should be here soon. I know this will be hard, but there are some questions we have to ask, and you have to answer them." Another deep breath on his part, and he continued. "Do you know if she was involved in anything she shouldn't have been?"

"Tim!" his aunt exclaimed, disbelieving. "Like what? We all know that Ashlyn's only problem was procrastination. What could she possibly be doing that would put her in this situation? Drugs? Alcohol? You know how she felt about that."

McGee nodded. He'd known the answer before he asked, but he had to be sure. "Sorry, Aunt Barbara. I told you it might be hard, but it's my job to ask."

"We understand, Tim," his uncle assured him.

At the sound of car doors slamming, they all looked up.

"They're here," Tim said unnecessarily. "Are you ready for this?"

"We're ready for anything that will bring Ashlyn home," his uncle answered.

Tim nodded and rose to open the door for his co-workers.

"Boss, this is my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Sam Belson."

He shook their hands. "I'm—"

"Agent Tibbs! From Tim's book!" Barbara exclaimed, cutting him off. She looked around the room at the various expressions on everyone's faces: Gibbs' annoyance, Tony and Ziva's amusement, and finally mirrored McGee's embarrassment. "Did I get that wrong?"

Hurrying to say something before Tony did, McGee told her, "Aunt Barbara, this is Agent Gibbs."

"Oh. So does that mean you're not Tommy and Lisa?" she asked Tony and Ziva.

"No, ma'am. I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, and this is Agent Ziva David," he said, still grinning. Oh, the fun he would have with McGee later!

McGee turned to Gibbs. "So, now that you're here, what do you need me to do, Boss?"

Gibbs shook his head and said simply, "Rule 38."

It was obvious that his family was confused, but McGee was too incredulous to explain.

"But, Boss, I… Are you sure?"

Gibbs smacked the young agent's head. "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have said anything. You got the call; it's your family; it's your case."

"All…all right then." He straightened. "Ziva, I'm going to have you stay here, just in case. My other cousin, Allie, is around here somewhere. See if you can calm her down.

"Tony, she was with her friends when she was taken. Here's a list of names and addresses of the ones who were there. They need to be interviewed.

"Gibbs," he paused. It was odd, being on the other side of the order. "You and I will go check out the scene. If we get done before Tony, we'll help him out; Ashlyn has a lot of friends. Let's go."

Gibbs nodded. He was proud of McGee. The young man was handling this well; he would have split them up the same way. It was nice to know that he had trained him well enough to lead his own team.


	3. One of Us

**A/N: This chapter doesn't have much going on, but it will speed up soon, I promise.**

It was on the way to the park that it sank in to McGee just how bad this situation

was. Not only was his cousin kidnapped, but it was up to him to get her back. This was his chance to prove himself; he just wished the stakes weren't so high. At least this time he wasn't ordered to sit on the sidelines while a member of his family was in danger. He sighed.

"You okay, McGee?" Gibbs asked with concern.

"No. I'm not," he admitted. "But I can't let that stop me."

His foot pushed harder on the accelerator.

* * *

Tony checked to make sure he had the right address, then walked to the front door and knocked. After a moment, a face appeared on the other side of the storm door.

"Dan Thornby?"

"Yeah… Who are you?" the kid asked bluntly.

Tony took it in stride. "I am Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS," he replied, showing his badge. When Dan looked confused, Tony sighed. "It stands for—"

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service," Dan finished. "I know. Why are you

here?"

"I'm investigating the kidnapping of Ashlyn Belson."

"Ashlyn? But that doesn't… Oh, because of her cousin, right?"

"Yeah. I'm going to have to ask you some questions… Are your parents home?"

Dan shook his head. "My mom had to take my brothers to something for school."

"Then I should come back later…" Tony knew it was unlawful to question minors without another adult present…

… And so did Dan. "Does that really matter right now? My friend is _missing_; all

you should be worried about is finding her. I won't report you, or anything."

"But…"

"Look," Dan said firmly. "I read Ashlyn's cousin's book. It wasn't something I'd

normally read, but she couldn't stop bragging about him – and he _is_ her cousin – so I read it to shut her up." He paused and looked Tony up and down. "You'd be Tommy, right?" When Tony rolled his eyes, he said, "I thought so. If he based his characters on his co-workers, then the book would reflect how you actually solve cases, right? And if that's true, then you guys stop at nothing to get the bad guy. Why can't you bend some rules when it's personal?"

"Fine. Tell me everything you remember…"

* * *

As they exited the car, McGee spoke. "I just can't think of a reason someone would do this to Ashlyn! It must have been random. He must have singled her out as the easiest victim in the park; she was alone, and she's really small…"

"Tim, the motive doesn't matter right now. We just need to find Ashlyn."

The local police department had taped off the area where it was obvious a struggle had taken place. Tim smiled grimly at the thought that his cousin had put up a fight, no matter how futile the effort. Gibbs was outside of the tape when he found the paper.

"Tim!" he called, quickly photographing its position before picking it up. "I don't think it was random. She must have been the intended target."

On the paper was a picture of Ashlyn, along with her name.

* * *

"We were playing manhunt. It was stupid. We'd told everyone we were going to play Ultimate Frisbee; Ashlyn _hated_ manhunt. She always offered to be the jail guard, so she wasn't off by herself, I guess. But hiding…there was nothing she could do when her team hid. I think…I think she was paranoid that someone else might find her. And this time she was right. We shouldn't have even brought up manhunt! We should have just played Ultimate like we said we would! We should have –"

"Dan, stop." Tony cut off his guilt-ridden ramblings. "Should have's and what if's aren't going to help. Trust me; I know. So, you were playing manhunt…"

"Right, sorry. And Ashlyn complained, like she always does: a quick 'I hate manhunt' under her breath. Then we picked captains and chose teams… Why is she always picked last? Maybe, if the other team had taken her, she'd be safe right now! This could have been her last time—"

"Dan! Listen, I know where you are now, and I know what I'm saying when I tell you that _thinking about what you could have done only makes things worse_!"

"You've been where I am now?" Dan repeated dubiously.

"You mean, where your best friend is missing, you don't know where she is or if she'll survive, and you know you could have prevented it? Yeah, I've been there once or twice." Dan wasn't sure how to react to the nonchalant, yet bitter way Tony had spoken. "It may not have been your situation _exactly_," he admitted.

Dan couldn't hide the smug expression on his face at being right, and Tony's eyes and voice darkened as he said, "It was worse."

This admission angered the teenager. "How could you know that? You can't!"

Tony put up his hands defensively. "Okay, I get why you're so mad. But hear me out."

Dan crossed his arms expectantly.

"Well, my partner was a liaison officer between NCIS and Mossad."

"That'd be Lisa?" he guessed.

"Her name's Zee-vah," he corrected, smiling a bit at his small joke of over enunciating her name. "Anyway, a few years ago the director of Mossad sent one of his other officers over here to take care of some things. One of those 'things' was connected to an ongoing investigation.

"We didn't know he was Mossad at first, so, of course, we went after him. I knew Ziva was dating someone, but I didn't realize it was him.

"When I did, I was…" he trailed off, trying to find the right word.

"Jealous?" Dan supplied.

The hard set of his jaw was easily read as a yes-in-denial. "_Worried_," he corrected. "She could have been – well, she _was_ in on it. She was keeping things from us. At the time, I knew she was hiding something; I didn't know what. I thought there was a possibility that she might leave DC to go back to Israel.

"So I decided to talk to her. She didn't want to hear what I had to say, but I got in a warning that I thought this guy was trouble. Let's just say it didn't go over well.

"I got our forensics girl to dig up whatever she could find on him, and traced his computer to Ziva's apartment. She wasn't there, but he was. Long story short, I killed my partner's boyfriend. It was self defense, kill or be killed, but she walked in just as I was pulling the trigger, and wouldn't listen to me.

"After she broke my shoulder, she told my boss that she couldn't work with me anymore. Then she left. She went back to Israel."

Thinking Tony was finished, Dan exhaled. "Wow. I'm sorry… I didn't realize…"

Tony shook his head sadly. "I wasn't done. A few months later, we decided to do something to get her back. We found information that she had boarded a ship, and that it had gone down. There were no survivors. After that, I couldn't focus… on anything. Finally, I decided that something needed to be done. We had to take out the terrorist that sank the ship before he could hurt anyone else.

"We traced him to Somalia, and Ashlyn's cousin and I got captured by the terrorist. Then we realized that our purpose wasn't what we'd thought it was: we were there on a rescue mission. Ziva was alive. Tortured, but alive. Our boss took him out with a sniper rifle. My point: _we got her back_."

Dan couldn't keep the doubt off his face. "But that was for one of your own."

"Hey. You said yourself that we stop at nothing to get the bad guy."

Before Dan could protest, he added, "Besides, Ashlyn Belson _is_ one of us."

* * *

**A/N**:** I know it took me forever to post, but I've been blocked. Reviews are the best medicine for writer's block! **


	4. A Lead

A/N: Hi, readers. Sorry for the gap in updates. I'm working on 3 fanfics right now, and,believe it or not, this one's my favorite. It's actually the first in a series! But, I'm so excited about the series that I'm getting a little scatterbrained, and I'm already working on the next ones. But I'm trying to focus on this one! After a chapter or two, updates will get faster, I promise.

* * *

They all met up at the Belson house to discuss their findings. Seated at the dining room table, they sipped the coffee and tea that Barbara had made for them. It was, after all, early February, and Tim, Gibbs, and Tony had been out in the cold.

Ziva opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by McGee.

"What'd you find, Tony?"

"Well, not much. The one kid, Simon, said that he saw someone that could have been our kidnapper."

"That's a lot, DiNozzo," Gibbs informed him.

"Not really, Boss. He just saw his feet."

"Then how does he know it wasn't just one of his friends?" McGee asked.

"He was wearing boots. Simon said that he didn't pay any more attention, because none of his friends had boots like that, and he was only trying to keep from getting caught." Everyone looked puzzled, so he hurried to explain, "They were playing manhunt. He was hiding."

"Did he describe the boots?" asked Ziva.

"No, but maybe we could come up with a bunch of pictures of different boots and he could point one out to us. Like boot mug shots!"

McGee was too far away, but Gibbs and Ziva both smacked his head.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"I think—" Ziva started, but again was cut off, this time by Gibbs.

He threw an evidence bag down onto the table as he said, "It wasn't a random abduction."

Tony reached for it quickly, trying to get to it before Ziva. She didn't even try. She was annoyed at being ignored. Tony gave her a puzzled look, but she ignored him. He shrugged and took a look at the paper in his hands. Turning the paper around so that Ziva could see it, he said, "That's not all this tells us, Boss." After a concerned glance at McGee, he continued, "Our kidnapper didn't know her, but he knew she was definitely the intended target. This could have been a hit."

Tim paled, and Ziva forgot her annoyance and stood up to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We will find her," she promised.

"But we don't know anything! We don't have a motive, we don't have any real evidence…"

At this, Ziva remembered what she had to tell everyone. "I think you may be wrong about that, McGee."

Everyone turned to stare at her.

"What do you got, Ziva?" asked Gibbs

She grabbed an evidence bag off the counter. Putting on gloves, she pulled out an envelope, and, from that, a piece of paper. "The Belsons received a letter from the kidnapper in the mail today." She passed it to Tim, who had put gloves on as well.

He read:

____

_Belson family:_

_I am sorry about what you are going through. It is nothing personal, but I had to do something. I won't worry you with my problems, though. I doubt you care anyway. I've been there; I know. However, your situation will have a different ending. You will get your daughter back alive. I know you won't believe this, but as a Marine, you can take me at my word. All I want is to talk to NCIS. And I know you have your connections to them. Once they get into town and agree to speak with me, your daughter will be released._

"What does this mean?" Ziva asked when the men had finished reading.

"It means that we have two options: Believe him, and just focus on finding her; or just treat this letter as a lie, and still focus on finding her. Either way, she is our priority. We have all the time in the world to catch him, but… but she…"

Gibbs rose and walked around the table to Tim, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We understand. You're doing fine, Tim."

He quickly pulled himself together. "Okay. The first thing we should do is get the evidence to Abby…" Apparently remembering something he had to do, he cursed and left the room, leaving Tony and Gibbs chuckling, and a confused Ziva, in his wake.

"You didn't tell her, did you, Boss?" Tony asked, knowing the answer.

"Nope. Must've slipped my mind," he answered with a grin.

Then she understood. "No one told Abby what is going on!"

"Nope," Gibbs and Tony said, grinning.

____

"Abby Sciuto, forensics extraordinaire."

"Hey, Abs…" McGee began nervously.

"We did get a case, Abs."

_"Then why are you calling me? That's Gibbs' job!"_

"Not today," he began.

_She cut him off. "Why not? Where is he?"_

"Abs, calm down, he's –"

_"I don't want to know! Tony, too? Where are you? I'm coming!"_ He could hear her hurrying to get her things.

"Abby! They're fine. Rule 38." Before she could ask, he told her. "It's my cousin, Ashlyn… She's been kidnapped."

_"Oh my God, McGee! Are you okay?"_

"I'll be fine, Abs. Don't worry about me; just focus on finding her."

_"Whatever you've got, I'm ready for it. Let's get this guy."_

* * *

A/N: Sorry, I know that chapter was almost pointless. But I had it done, and the next chapter will have them exploring the leads that they have. I'll probably post it by Sunday night, if enough people review...


	5. It's Family

**A/N:** Okay, I will pretend that I am not offended by the total lack of reviews, and continue on with my story. I'm not writing for you, anyway, I'm writing for me. And no, joshua213161, I did not forget about you, but you're family; you don't count. So, if anyone is interested in the posting of chapter 6, please review!

* * *

"How will he know that we are here?" Ziva wondered aloud.

"Don't know," Tony answered.

"And how will we know he knows?" Tim asked.

"Don't know," Tony repeated.

Gibbs slammed his hand down on the table. "Did you manage to solve _any_ cases while I was down in Mexico?" he demanded.

They jumped, shocked at his outburst.

"What kind of question is that?" Tony demanded, clearly stung.

"Well, DiNozzo, it needed to be asked. You're a _team_. You got questions, you answer 'em, _together_. Got it?"

"Got it, Boss," came his chorused reply.

Just then Tim's phone rang. "McGee."

_"Hi, Timmy!"_

"Hey, Abs. What's up?"

_"I think I know how to find Ashlyn's kidnapper. Put me on speaker."_

He did so. "Okay, Abs. We can hear you. What do you got?"

_"Well, nothing yet,"_ she admitted. _"But I will. I think."_

"Abby!" everyone yelled.

_"Okay, sorry. Anyway, what I need is the stamp."_

"The stamp?" McGee asked.

"Of course!" Ziva exclaimed, rushing to retrieve the envelope from the evidence bag.

"Like in the case based off of the McNovel!" Tony recalled.

"Can someone please fill me in?" asked a slightly agitated McGee.

"_Right. Sorry, Timmy. Do you remember that case a few years ago when the guy was killing right out of Rock Hollow, and –"_

"Yeah, Abs, I remember, thanks," Tim said, wincing at the memory. Abby had almost been killed, and it was all his fault. He wouldn't be forgetting that one any time soon.

_"Okay, well, I used the print on the back of the stamp to find the killer. Because while everybody and their mother touches every other inch of paper mail –"_

"The sender's the only one who touches the stamp! You're brilliant, Abs! Buy yourself a Caf-Pow, on me!"

_"Just one?"_ Her pout was audible. _"Gibbs would –"_

"Tell you to be lucky you got one," Gibbs finished for her. "You didn't find anything yet."

Tony chuckled, and teased, "You forgot you were on speaker phone, didn't you?"

_"Can it, DiNozzo! Just send me that fingerprint!"_ Then she hung up.

McGee hurried to do what she asked.

"McGee, do you really have it so bad that you rush to do her bidding?" His tease faded a bit as it went, due to three fierce glares directed at him.

"No," McGee answered him sharply. "But an angry Abby is not someone we want to deal with right now. We need to focus," he said forcefully, leaving the room to use his computer.

* * *

McGee walked back into the room, his anger at Tony forgotten, and his new hope from the possible lead fueling his determination.

"Campfire."

Gibbs couldn't hide his proud smile as they scurried to make a small circle.

"Let's start with what we know," Tim suggested.

"We know he wears boots, which could mean he's military," Tony spoke up.

"Yes, that is further proven in the letter by his request to see us, and not the FBI," Ziva added.

"Yeah," Tony put his two cents in. "Who would've though that people being clueless as to who we are would ever help solve a case?"

"I'll text Abby and tell her that it might help to narrow the search to people in the military. What else do we know?"

"He says he's been in the Belsons' position before, and he says he has a daughter, and that she died. Perhaps we could look for a newspaper article about a young girl's kidnapping and murder, or her death certificate?" Ziva offered.

"Yes!" McGee exclaimed, happy to be getting somewhere. He ran to get his laptop. "I'll start the search now. Anything else?"

"Yeah," Gibbs answered, speaking for the first time. "They're after us."

"Which brings us to the unknowns," Tony said. "Why is he after us?"

"Perhaps," Ziva guessed, "it could have something to do with his daughter. He may blame us for his death. This could be his way of punishing the agency."

"But it's not the agency he's after, Ziva," Tim told her. "It's specifically our team. But I don't remember this case!"

"Nor do I," Ziva agreed.

The two junior agents looked to their superiors. Tony shook his head, and Gibbs said, "I don't, either. And it's not one I'd be able to forget."

They all sat there, stumped for a few moments, before Gibbs said, "We can get to the motive when we have him locked up. Next question."

"Okay. How about how he'll know we're here?"

"Well, if it were me," Ziva began. Everyone listened intently. They put up with her daily death threats and her mixed up expressions just for moments like these, when her Mossad background came in handy. "I would not stake out the house. We are armed federal agents, and he would not want to be caught. Besides, he said in the letter 'I' not 'we.' He could be trying to mislead us, but if he is working alone, he will probably not want to leave Ashlyn alone for too long. He did apologize for taking her, and he assured us that he would not harm her. How could he do that if he was leaving her by herself all day?"

"So, you believe him?" McGee asked incredulously. In his mind, if the guy was sorry, he wouldn't have taken his cousin in the first place. Tim definitely did not trust this guy.

"I'm agreeing with the Probie-Boss," Tony sided with his friend. "He isn't sorry if he's still holding onto her."

Tim almost smiled at the nickname, and nodded his agreement.

"If he didn't mean it, what was the purpose in saying it?" Ziva challenged.

"He could want us on his good side," Gibbs proposed. Before Tony's smug grin could grow to full size, however, he added, "But he's too late for that. He probably knows it, too, because he targeted us and he's been in this situation before. Anyway, Ziva, you were saying…"

"I would probably leave once every few hours, and drive past her house and the crime scene. I would suggest putting a camera at both of those locations. It may also help to stay outside, two of us at the park, and two of us here."

Gibbs nodded, then remembered he wasn't the lead on this case. He glanced at McGee.

"That works for me. Anything suspicious, jot down the license plate and send it to Abby. If the guy matches the profile, we bring him in for questioning. Tony and Ziva, you guys take the park." He caught Tony's eye, then looked down at his watch, and added, "It's getting late. You can grab dinner on your way over there. Dress warm, and don't get back into the car until eleven. If we don't find anything definite, we'll do it again tomorrow."

When they left, Gibbs gave him a half-hearted Gibbs-slap.

"Why –?"

"So, when I'm not the boss anymore, my rules just go out the window?" Gibbs demanded. He didn't really care, but McGee didn't know that.

"What are you talking about, Boss?" he stammered.

"I saw the look you gave DiNozzo. Rule 12 ring a bell?"

McGee grimaced. "Well…" he couldn't find an excuse.

Gibbs chuckled. "It's all right, McGee. That one never was my favorite. Come on."

"Where to, Boss?" McGee asked, thinking he may have gotten whiplash from the sudden subject change.

"If we're going to be standing out in the cold all night, I'm gonna need some coffee, and you're the one who knows where I'd be able to find a decent cup. Let's go."

* * *

"You know, Ziva, while I was driving around to question all of Ashlyn's friends, I passed an Olive Garden. How does that sound for dinner?" Tony suggested. It sounded perfect to him. It was just casual enough, and he could still show off some of his Italian.

"Tony, while I want nothing more than to sit for a while in the heat and enjoy a good meal with you, we are working. We need to get to that park as soon as possible. Besides, what about Rule 12?"  
"I don't think it counts at the moment, because he's not the boss; McGee is." At her disagreeing look, he added, "Didn't you ever hear that rules are made to be broken?"

She laughed. "Yes, I live by that saying. But I do not think it applies to Gibbs' rules."

He thought for a moment. "How about, 'There's an exception to every rule'?"

She shook her head. "Gibbs only allows exceptions in emergencies. This is not an emergency."

"But –"

She shook her head again. "It would be best to just go to Burger King."

"Fine," he pouted. "Have it your way."

They both had to smile a bit at the use of the slogan, though it was a sad, regretful smile because they wouldn't let themselves enjoy themselves too much while they were working.

* * *

A few hours later, Abby was rushing around her lab. She was still waiting for a hit on the fingerprint on the back of the stamp, and she had so many license plate numbers running, she doubted she'd get home tonight. Vance had stopped down at about 10:30 to send her home, but Abby was stubborn about staying.

"You go, Leon," she'd insisted. "But I'm staying. It's family. I don't let people mess with my family."

He was smart enough to realize that she was sticking to her guns on this one, and that it would be a mistake to send her home, anyway. If she wanted to stay and solve the case, how could he tell her it could wait until tomorrow? She knew the statistics; kidnappings can't always wait.

At midnight, the lab's phone started to ring. "Hello? Abby's lab," she answered, a bit sleepily.

_"Hey, Abs,"_ came McGee's voice. _"Thanks for staying so late; I'll make it up to you."_

"I know you will," she said slyly. "What do you need?"

_"Have any of the plates matched a guy who fits our profile?"_

"McGee, I told you last time you asked, I'll call you when I find out. I won't go home until she's safe, McGee. I promise, I'm doing everything I can think of to find her. But, like I tell Gibbs all the time, you can't rush science."

_"All right, all right,"_ he replied sheepishly. He'd heard that from her a time or two. _"My family really appreciates all that you're doing."_

"Well, hang up and let me do it, then!" she teased.

_"Okay. See you as soon as I can, Abs."_

She smiled in spite of herself, and answered, "I know, Timmy. We'll get her back, I promise. Good night."

* * *

The next morning, everyone was running on empty. Even Gibbs, who hardly slept anyway, was exhausted. They'd all drunk much more caffeine than they should have, but they'd take it up with their doctors… or, doctor… They'd take it up with Ducky when they got back to DC. Nothing mattered right now except finding Ashlyn.

After a large breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and bacon (Barbara Belson practically shoved it down their throats) they received a phone call. The caller ID said it was an unknown number, so McGee turned on the tracer as his Uncle Sam picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"I let her go."

"You did? Where can I find her? Hello? Hello?"

He stared at the phone in his hands. "He hung up," he announced, stunned and upset.

Ziva looked out the window, up at the overcast sky. "It looks like it will rain. We should hurry to find her; we do not want her to get sick."

"McGee?" Tony addressed his friend with concern. Tim was sitting with the tracer's headphones on, just staring at the machine. He slowly shook his head, almost imperceptibly. They all understood his meaning: he couldn't trace the call.

Because McGee was so distraught, Gibbs took over as boss for the moment. "Tony, go check out the area by the park. Maybe he left her there. Ziva, I want you to just drive around town. Go down every street, and watch where you're going. We don't know where she could be. Officer Belson, I need you to call your station and inform your men that Ashlyn has been set free, and to be on the lookout. If you've got a police scanner here at home, turn it on. We'll get our information faster than if we wait for a call. DiNozzo, David, stop by the police station first and get radios. That way, we can all stay in contact. Got it?"

"Yes, Gibbs." Tony and Ziva answered, quickly grabbing their gear, including their coats, and running out the door.

* * *

Tony was the first to see her. She was curled up in a ball in the wet grass, completely soaked; wearing exactly what her parents had said she'd be wearing: a blue West Virginia University hoodie, jeans, and cowgirl boots. He was grateful to find her alive, albeit unconscious and shivering uncontrollably.

He shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped her in it, then lifted her up so he could carry her to his warm car. He was shocked by her weight – or lack thereof. Sure, he'd heard everyone saying how small she was – just 95 pounds – but 95 pounds was a lot lighter than he'd expected!

He got on the radio to inform everyone that he had her, then called McGee personally.

"Jeez, McGee! Is she anorexic or something?"

McGee chuckled in his relief. "No way. Remember when she comes to, to ask her about her food philosophies."

* * *

**A/N:** I want your thoughts on the Probie-Boss nickname. I thought it was something Tony would say, and I want to know if I should repeat it in a later chapter. And, just so you know, that last scene of the chapter was the first one I wrote when I started this fanfic. I was so excited, it grew into Justified Injustice!


	6. Nicknames and Surprise Visits

A/N: So, chapter 6. I've had it done for a while, but I've been grounded... Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior from now on! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

McGee was waiting outside her room at the hospital (just a precaution, necessary for all kidnapping victims), waiting for his turn to see her. Obviously, her parents were the first ones to be admitted after she woke up.

Finally, he saw the door open, heard his aunt say with a smile, "There's someone here that I think you'll be excited to see…"

That was his cue. Wearing a smile of his own, he walked into the room.

"Tim!" she exclaimed in surprise. He chuckled, and her parents laughed, too, as they walked out. "What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you, and," he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "don't tell your dad, but who knows how long it would take a local police department to find you, compared to an experienced federal agent."

She laughed. "That's just because you have the budget for cooler toys."

"And a good team behind him," Gibbs said from the door, interrupting the cousins' reunion. Tony and Ziva walked in behind him.

"Yeah, that too," Tim admitted. "Ashlyn, this is my team," he added.

"Your _team_? Your _NCIS_ team from DC?" she asked.

Tony chuckled. "See, Probie? Even your own flesh and blood doesn't believe you could be a federal agent." He then winced as Gibbs smacked him in the head.

Ashlyn turned her attention to him. "I guess you're –"

"No!" Tony exclaimed. "I am _not_ Agent Tommy!"

She blinked. "I know that. You're Tony, right? Sorry, I don't know your last name…"

"Yes! Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, at your service. But Tony's fine."

"And I know you're Gibbs," she said to the silver-haired man.

Tim introduced Ziva, "This is our probationary agent, Ziva David." He couldn't help but smile at the word "probationary."

Tony saw it, and joked, "Don't worry, McGee. You'll always be the probie to me."

"Thanks, Tony," Tim replied flatly.

"McGee? You really call him 'McGee'?"

"Yeah," Tony answered. "All the time."

"Oh. Now I understand why he tells me how good it feels to hear his first name."

They all looked a bit guilty until Ziva broke the silence. "Abby calls you by your first name."

"Yeah, _Timmy_," Tony teased.

He grimaced. "Very funny."

"How is Abby?" Ashlyn asked. "I mean, I'm sure she's better than me…"

"You've got that right," Tim teased.

She mock-glared at him, to the amusement of everyone in the room.

"How do you know Abby?" Ziva asked.

"My Girl Scout troop went to DC three years ago to sing, and Tim and Abby came to see us."

Squirming under a fierce Gibbs-glare, McGee hastened to add, "She made me take her, Boss. She told me she used to be a Girl Scout…"

"Meaning, there was no breaking of Rule 12, Boss!" Tony came to his friend's rescue.

Ashlyn was confused, but when nobody explained, she just let it go. She had a more important question to ask, anyway. "My parents didn't say anything about calling any of my friends, did they?"

"No, but I – " Tony began.

He was cut off by Mrs. Belson's voice in the hallway. "Dan? What are you doing here?"

Tony quickly opened the door. "I called him, Mrs. Belson," he explained. "He can come in; we can pick this up again when they're done."

Avoiding the glare he was receiving from McGee, and the confused expressions of everyone else, he quickly ducked out of the room. The rest followed, with McGee bringing up the rear. "I'll be right out here, Ashlyn."

"And I'll be right here," she joked. "I'm not going anywhere."

He passed Dan in the doorway, and looked back concernedly.

"I'm fine, Tim," she assured him, and he finally left, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

"What were you thinking, Tony?" he demanded as soon as the door was completely closed.

"McGee, hear me out –"

"No! There is a _teenaged boy_ in a room alone with _my cousin_!"

"They're friends!" Tony shot back. "More than friends; they're _best_ friends! You don't think about your best friend like that!" Seeing McGee's dubious expression, he amended, "Well, sometimes you do, but you don't act on it."

Gibbs cut the argument short with two Gibbs-smacks. "McGee, calm down. DiNozzo, explain."

While Tim was still seething, Tony began: "I've been in his position before, Gibbs; we all have. One of his friends was taken from him, and he had no idea what to think. Was she okay? Was she even _alive_? And she's his _best friend_. He wouldn't believe unless he saw it himself that she's okay. I did what I thought was best."

Gibbs nodded, remembering the hardships they'd all gone through while Ziva was missing. "Even so, you should have told us."

McGee, understanding now, just sat in the chair closest to her room and said nothing.

* * *

Dan looked at her and almost sagged with his relief. "You look okay."

"As compliments go, I've heard better," she joked, then said seriously, "I _am_ okay. I promise. _You_ on the other hand…"

"I'm all right; I just need a good night's sleep, a decent meal."

"You haven't slept? You haven't _eaten_? Dan…"

He ignored her. "And if you're okay, what are you doing here? They usually save the beds for those who _aren't_ fine."

"It's just a precaution. I should be out of here soon. But, seriously, Dan, you need to eat something! You look awful!"

He smiled. "If we were competing, you'd definitely win the 'Worst Compliment' contest. And I told you, I'll eat when I get home."

"Then go home!"

"Not until you get out of here, or they kick me out. You're my best friend; I can't just leave you here to be bored to death. Where are you going from here, anyway?"

* * *

The same question was being asked in the hallway, by Ziva.

"She goes home."

"She comes with us."

Gibbs and McGee looked at each other.

"McGee, she was just kidnapped. She needs to go home; feel safe again; be with her family."

"I understand that for a normal case, Boss, but this one isn't normal. She has a memory that could make this case; she could help us find the guy who did this. And I _am_ her family, and I _will_ keep her safe."

Tony stepped in. "Boss, I think McGee knows what he's talking about. I say we talk to her parents; if they agree, we take her with us. That way, she has time to remember things."

"And she will not have to relive it quite so soon," Ziva added quietly, speaking from experience.

Seeing he was outnumbered, Gibbs simply nodded his agreement, and McGee hurried to talk to his aunt and uncle.

The Belsons agreed that it would be fine, trusting their nephew to keep her safe, and wanting their daughter as far from the kidnapper as possible until he was caught. Tim didn't want to wait, so he walked into the room – Tony right on his heels – where Ashlyn and Dan were laughing about something.

She sat up a bit straighter. "Hey, T-I-M! Can I go home now?"

Ignoring Dan and Tony's confused expressions, he answered, "Not yet, Lee. You need to be cleared first."

That was two nicknames that Tony didn't understand, and he didn't like to be out of the loop. "What did she call you, Probie?"

Ashlyn answered instead. "Well, he went to MIT. MIT, T-I-M, get it?"

Tony looked like a little kid who just discovered a new toy.

"Thanks a lot, Ashlyn," McGee said sarcastically.

"Wait… You haven't figured that out yet?" she asked Tony.

"No, he hadn't," Tim answered.

"That's a good one, kid," Tony said appreciatively.

"Wait a second. Tim, what was that you called Ashlyn?" Dan asked innocently, making a point of avoiding Ashlyn's gaze.

Tim grinned mischievously. "Well, I had to come up with something to get her back for the T-I-M nickname. I realized that she hates it when people say her name is Ashley. I called her that for a while, and it shortened over the years."

"_Anyway_," Ashlyn changed the subject quickly, before Dan could tease her. "What did you guys come in to tell me?"

"If it's all right with you, you're going to come to DC when they release you. It's not standard procedure, but this isn't a standard case, and you could really help us out."

"_I_ can help out? At _NCIS_? And you weren't sure about my answer?"

Tim chuckled. "No, I thought you were going to say that. Your mom's already at your house packing a suitcase; we'll leave straight from here."

* * *

A/N: This chapter was hard for me to write. I've written countless scenes with Ashlyn from further into the story, but this was her character's introduction. I hope I did well, and you don't hate her!


	7. All of Us

A/N: Who's excited? 2 chapters in 2 days? How awesome am I? Actually, you don't know the answer to that until you read this chapter, so get to it!

* * *

The doctors decided to keep Ashlyn overnight to be sure that nothing was wrong with her. Tim and Tony stayed outside her room on protection detail, breaking only when police officers would come in off the street to take over for a few minutes while the NCIS agents went to the bathroom, or got something to eat or drink. Ziva and Gibbs spent the majority of the night at the place where Tony found the girl, looking for any evidence they could find that hadn't been washed away by the rain.

The next morning, Tony and Tim were loading their bags into the trunk of the car in which they would be taking Ashlyn to DC, when Tony voiced a concern he'd been having…

"She doesn't act like a kidnapping victim usually does. I mean, I believe that she was kidnapped," he backpedaled, "but…"

"I know. I'm worried, too. She should be more withdrawn, more scared… I'm glad that she isn't, I guess, but I don't know what to make of it. The doctors ruled out shock, but I'm still going to have Ducky take a look when we get back, see what he thinks."

Tony nodded his agreement. "Good idea. Do you need me to give him a call and tell him what's up?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Tony. For everything."

Tony put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "No problem, Tim."

* * *

A little bit later (after Ashlyn promised Dan and her parents that she would be careful, and Tim swore that he would keep her safe) they were on the road. Tony had volunteered to ride with McGee and Ashlyn to make sure she was okay, though he knew Tim thought that he only wanted to find out something else to tease him about.

Tony didn't say anything to deny the assumption, but actions speak louder than words. Every thirty seconds, he looked back at her, waiting for the breakdown he knew should have happened already. All he saw, however, was a girl quietly reading a book.

Thinking this might be the "withdrawn" part of the process, he made an effort to engage her in conversation.

"What are you reading?"

She looked up and blushed a bit. "Deep Six," she answered.

Tim looked at her in the rearview mirror. "Again? Don't you ever get tired of reading the same book over and over?"

"No. And it's different now that I know most of the characters." After another look from her cousin, she corrected, "I mean, the people the characters were based off of. And I'm going to see where it takes place!"

McGee smiled and shook his head at her eagerness to see his workplace. Turning to Tony, he said, "I don't think I was that excited when Gibbs gave me a job there."

"Oh, shut up," Ashlyn said. "There is one thing I'm not excited for, though," she admitted.

"Spending time with him?" Tony guessed, shrugging innocently under McGee's glare.

"Well, that makes two things," she joked.

"Watch it, Ashlyn," Tim warned.

She stuck her tongue out at him, making Tony laugh. "I meant that I have to sleep on the couch."

"McGee!" Tony exclaimed. "You make her sleep on your couch?"

"Well, if _someone_ wouldn't have spoiled my dog, he wouldn't have put a hole in the air mattress."

"I couldn't let him sleep on the hard floor," she justified.

"Well, I just finished retraining him to keep off the furniture, so –"

"So it won't take long before he's sitting next to me on the couch again," she finished for him.

Before he could protest, his phone rang. And rang. And –

"You gonna get that, McGee?"

"It's Abby."

"So?"

"So, I didn't tell her Ashlyn's coming yet."

"Then tell her now," Tony told him the obvious solution.

"No, I wanted to surprise her."

"Oh. Then don't tell her."

"Thanks, Tony," he said sarcastically. "One problem: I can't lie to her."

His phone seemed to get louder, more persistant. Ashlyn rolled her eyes. "Just answer it!"

Taking a deep breath, he did. "McGee."

_"Hey, Timmy!"_

"Hi, Abs."

_"I was expecting crime scene photos from the spot where Tony found Ashlyn, but I never got them."_

"Gibbs and Ziva are bringing them to you now. They should be there soon. Tony and I waited for Ashlyn to be released, but we're on our way now."

_"How was she when you left?"_

_Here we go,_ he thought. "Okay, I guess."

"You guess?"  
"Well, she…" He couldn't think of anything to say. "I'll tell you when I get back."

_"Fine. She's got protection, right?"_

"Abs, her dad's a cop, too. And he's got plenty of friends to keep her safe."

_"Still, I would've thought you would have been the first to volunteer."_

He winced; another lie. "I did offer, Abs, but Gibbs told me I could help her more in DC."

Tony gave him a reassuring thumbs-up.

"_Oh. Well, how long do you think you'll be? I miss you, Timmy."_

He turned red; he didn't want to give the two people who teased him most any ammo. He simply said, "You, too, Abs. We'll be back by noon. See you then."

After her "Bye, Timmy," he hung up.

"That was awful."

"But you did it, Probie!"

"And, hopefully, you won't have to do it again," Ashlyn added helpfully.

"Still, McGee, be careful. You know how Abby gets when people break her Rule #1."

McGee looked terrified.

"What's Rule #1?" Ashlyn asked.

"Never lie to Abby," Tony answered.

"Oh. Good luck, Tim," she said as she went back to her book.

When Tim knew that she was too absorbed in her reading to hear what they were saying in the front seat, he murmured, "What did Ducky say?"

"That it would be his pleasure to speak with our Timothy's cousin," Tony answered in a very fake Scottish accent.

"Shh, Tony!" he hissed.

"Sorry. He's fine with it, and can't wait to meet her. Why do I feel like she's going to be the new Abby?"

That image did not sit well with McGee, as was clear from the expression on his face.

"Without the tattoos, of course," Tony hastened to add, but the damage was done. "Never mind. What's the game plan when we get back?"

McGee shook his head to clear it before answering, "Ashlyn and I are going to drop our stuff off in the squad room, where you, Gibbs, and Ziva will keep running those plate numbers. Then we'll go down to see Abby, before anyone else can tell her."  
"And if you survive that…" Tony joked.

McGee let it go. "I'll take her up to the conference room to talk to Ducky. If he says she's well enough for it, I'll call you guys up and we'll interview her."

Tony nodded his agreement and approval, not saying that Gibbs was probably already growing impatient waiting for Ashlyn to tell them what she knew. He silently resolved to get in the elder man's face if he said anything.

* * *

When they arrived at NCIS, it took longer than usual to get through the lobby, because Ashlyn needed to get an ID badge to so much as get into the elevator.

Finally, after receiving both her badge and a promise not to tell Abby about Ashlyn from security, they got into the elevator.

McGee and Ashlyn put their stuff at his desk, he issued the order to keep looking, and the two again loaded into the elevator.

"Listen. I want you to be quiet and stay out of her sight until I'm ready, okay?"

She rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Okay, whatever you say."

"Good," he said as the doors slid open.

They exited the elevator, and Ashlyn hid out of sight of the door. Tim leaned against the door frame for a minute, just watching her work.

"You might be the boss right now, but that doesn't make you Gibbs," she said without turning around.

He peeled himself off the wall and came further into the lab. "How'd you know it was me?"  
Still flitting around her lab, attending to her "babies," she answered, "Timmy, I've been working with you for six years. You're predictable."

He grinned, and gestured for Ashlyn to come in. "Am I?"

As she turned to look at him, she said, "Yes, you – Ashlyn!" She exclaimed when she was facing them.  
"Hi, Abby!" she greeted, as Abby rushed to hug her.

"How are you? What are you doing here?" Before she could answer, Abby whirled around and punched McGee in the arm.

"Ow! Abby!"

"You lied to me!" she accused.

"No, Abby, I didn't. Not really."

"Yes, you did!"

"Abby, it was my idea," Ashlyn interrupted to stop the argument. "I wanted to surprise you."

Abby turned back toward Ashlyn before she could notice the expression of shock on Tim's face.

"Aww! That's so sweet! Can she stay down here with me, Timmy?"

"Please, Timmy?" Ashlyn teased.

"You, be quiet," he said, glaring at his cousin. Turning to Abby, he continued, "And, you, not yet. I'm taking her to meet Ducky, then we have some other things we need to take care of."

"And then can she come back?"

"We'll see."

She pouted, and he laughed. "I'll do my best," he amended.

"Okay. Go do whatever it is you need to do, so you can come back."

"Can't I just stay here for a little bit longer, and do that later?" Ashlyn asked. Abby brightened at the idea.

"No. _No_, Abby. Ashlyn, back up to the squad room. Come on; let's go."

* * *

"I just can't believe you did that," Tim was saying as they got out of the elevator.

"I had to do it," she answered.

"What did she do?" Tony asked as they walked into the bullpen.

"She broke Rule #1."

Ziva looked confused. "Who is her partner?"

"Not that Rule #1," Tim said.

"Then she put suspects in a room together?" Ziva guessed again.

"Not Gibbs' rules. Abby's."

Tony looked at her, wearing a surprised, and somewhat amused expression. "Didn't we tell you not to do that?"

"Kind of…" she admitted. "But I had to! She found out Tim lied to her earlier! If I hadn't told that one little white lie, his goose would be cooked!"

Before anyone could say anything more, Tony turned to McGee. "Speaking of, the Duck-Man's waiting for you in the conference room."

Tim nodded and led Ashlyn up the stairs. Ducky met them at the door. "Hey, Duck. This is my cousin, Ashlyn Belson," he introduced.

"A pleasure, my dear," Ducky said, shaking her hand.

"And, Ashlyn, this is Dr. Ducky Mallard."

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Mallard," she said politely.

He waved off the formality. "Please, call me Ducky," he insisted.

"You're the medical examiner, right?"

Ducky blinked. "Why, yes. How did you know?"

Tim grinned as she began to explain. "Well, you're a doctor of some sort, and you're a full time employee of NCIS. I can tell, because you're not wearing a visitor's badge. That leaves psychiatrist or ME. A psychiatrist would have his own office, whereas we're in the conference room. Besides, NCIS could outsource for psychiatrists, which would actually be the smart thing to do, with the small amount of funding federal agencies have access to. But they'd definitely need their own medical examiner."

For once, Ducky was at a loss of words. The girl was definitely observant, and bright. Finally, he smiled. "You certainly have a very quick mind. Please, take a seat; I'll be right in."

She walked past him, and Ducky looked after her for a moment before turning back to McGee. "We would do well to make her stay here as pleasant as possible. She could be a very valuable asset to us someday."

Tim groaned. "Don't get her started. I already know this trip is going to be like a school career day."

Ducky chuckled. "I'd better get started then."

Tim nodded, and tried to walk into the conference room, but the elder man stopped him.  
"Don't you have a job to do, Timothy?"

"My job is to watch out for my cousin."

"The best way to do that would be to get her kidnapper behind bars," Ducky pointed out.

"Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva can handle it."

"Timothy, they need you. Your cousin will be fine here with me. I will not be able to accurately ascertain the state of her well-being with an audience. Go." He'd been calm the whole time, but there was a force behind his words that McGee couldn't argue with anymore. Instead, he turned and went back downstairs to the bullpen.

"Do we have anything yet?" he asked.

Ziva began to answer him, but Tony cut her off. "Come on, McGee. You're not a probie anymore, you're the boss. Start acting like it."

A smile tugged at Tim's lips as he amended, "What do we got?"

"Well, that's better, I guess. Go back upstairs and –"

McGee cut him off with a smack on the head as he passed.

"Never mind," Tony said with a grin in spite of the pain in his head. "I think you've got the boss thing down now."  
"May I talk now?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah. Sorry, Ziva," Tim said.

"We narrowed down our list of license plates some, but we cannot move forward until we talk to Ashlyn. McGee, we do not know what we are looking for."

He sighed. "I know. As soon as Ducky's done with her, we'll go up and take her statement. I hate that we have to do this to her, though."

"McGee," Gibbs said, getting up from his own desk and crossing the bullpen to Tim's. "You're not doing anything to her. You are catching her kidnapper for her. You do that, and she might have some scary flashbacks now, but she'll get over it. You don't, she might not sleep again."

"Besides," Tony offered from his desk, "she sounded more than happy to help us out."

"Saying that is much more difficult than actually doing it," Ziva pointed out.

"That's really helpful, Ziva," Tony said sarcastically.

"No, she's right," McGee agreed. "We're going to have to be careful not to upset her." He let his head fall onto his desk. "Why did this have to happen to her?"

Gibbs clapped his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "You'll get through this, Tim," he promised. "Both of you."

"No," Tony said as he rose from his chair. He joined Gibbs and McGee, and put out his hand, palm down, hovering over the desk. "All of us."

Tim fought a smile. "What, are we superheroes now?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Why not?" Then his hand covered Tony's.

Now McGee's grin covered his face. "Okay. I always did want to be like Batman."

They all faced Ziva, where she was sitting at her desk.

"What about you, Wonder Woman?" Tony asked. "You in?"

She smiled. "Of course."

As she walked over, Tony couldn't help but imagine her in the Wonder Woman costume…

The room filled with the sound of a collective SMACK!

* * *

A/N: Thank you to my good friend and reviewer ayako, for helping me with ending this chapter. I was going to have it end with Ziva putting her hand on the pile, leaving you with a sense of team unity, and thinking "Aww, how cute." But I kind of wanted to put in Tony being... well, Tony, with the Wonder Woman thing. So, ayako suggested I end it with a SMACK! Thanks again!


	8. Take Care of Her

**A/N: So, things are moving a little slow at the moment, but they should be picking up in the next chapter. I have been having some great luck with writing lately (lots of time, and no writers block!) so hopefully that next chapter will be up in a few days! Yay!**

* * *

"Hey, McGee." When Tim looked up, Gibbs pointed to the catwalk.

_Finally_, Tim thought as he leapt out of his chair and sprinted up the stairs to where Ducky was waiting for him.

"Well, Duck?" _Good news, good news, good news…_

"She's a very pleasant young lady. We had a very nice chat about –"

"But how is she?" Tim interrupted. His patience, already thin, was wearing down even more.

"I noticed some signs of anxiety. Though I must say that she did her best to hide it."

"_Why?_ Why won't she let us help her?"

"I believe she is embarrassed. Wouldn't you be, if you were her? She doesn't want her cousin or his coworkers to see her at her weakest."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll go talk to her. On your way down, can you tell the team that I'll call them when she's ready?"

"Of course."

He watched Ducky walk down the stairs and took a deep breath before he walked in. He couldn't believe that she was embarrassed about something that wasn't her fault. It angered him, as well as filled him with worry. And behind the anger and concern, there was hurt. Never before had she hidden from him what she was really feeling. He always received e-mails or phone calls about her day; he heard from her at least four times a week. They were as close as siblings, like a second sister to him. He opened the door.

She looked up too fast, a look of panic on her face. He bit back a sigh, forced a smile.

"Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, fighting to compose herself.

He noticed bags under her eyes for the first time, and couldn't help the frown that pulled at his lips. "Do you need something to drink?"

"No, I'm really fine," she insisted.

"What about lunch? We could go out, or–"

"Tim, I'm serious. I'm okay."

This time he did sigh, and he sat in the seat next to her. "You shouldn't be, after what you went through. I have days, just investigating cases, that I can't find the will to eat. Just thinking about some of the things that people had to deal with… It's no picnic."

She sat, silently listening, as he told her not to hide anything from him.

"And then there are the days when I_ do_ have to live through it," he continued. "There was one mission where I got kidnapped, on purpose, but I still had nightmares for weeks after it." He saw no need to go into details about the Somalia case; that wasn't his story to tell. He looked at the bags under her eyes again. "You didn't sleep last night, did you?"

She shook her head. "I couldn't, Tim." After the admission, she lost control of the tears that filled her eyes.

He got up to close the already short distance between them and hugged her tightly.

"It's okay, we'll keep you safe, you're fine."

At his assurances, her tears rushed over the dams that had kept them back, soaking his shirt. He held her as she cried, hating the man who had done this to his usually strong cousin. At the same time, he was relieved that he finally understood what was going on inside her head.

When she had calmed down again, when her tears had slowed and her sniffles replaced her sobs, she took a deep – albeit shaky – breath.

"Okay; I think I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" he asked.

"I'm ready to give you guys my statement. You need to know–"

He interrupted, his expression hard. "If you think you're doing that now–"

She cut him off now. "If you think I'm _not_, you're crazy. Tim, I _have_ to. _I_ might be safe here with you guys, but who knows what he'll do to Ally if you don't catch him in time!"

"You think he'll do something to Ally?" His expression softened again into one of worry.

"Yes."

"Why?"

They were both interrupted by Tony. "You weren't going to start without us, were you, Probie?" he asked, walking in behind Gibbs, with Ziva trailing behind him.

Tim instantly transformed from cousin back to federal agent. "Ziva, I need you to have the Belsons moved to a safe house."

"I will make the call," she said, and left the room.

Tony sat down on the side of Ashlyn opposite from McGee, but Gibbs walked to the water cooler and filled a cup. He handed it to Ashlyn, who smiled a thank you. He smiled back, and both Tony and Tim could imagine what was going through Gibbs' mind just then.

"Why don't you tell us why you think your sister is in danger?" Gibbs asked gently.

"Well, I'm not _sure_…"

Tim squeezed her hand reassuringly, and she continued. "I just have this…this feeling that he kidnapped me to get to you guys, and if you don't find him, he'll feel like he'll have to do something else."

The three agents exchanged looks.

"Nothing gets by her, does it?" Tony asked.

Tim smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Try having Christmas with her. She tries to guess every present, and she usually gets it right."

"What do you mean? Am I right?" she asked.

Again, the men exchanged glances, and then Gibbs said, "The note we got said just that; all he wants is to talk to us."

She gasped, and her eyes filled again.

"We don't have to do this now, Ashlyn," Tim reminded her.

She shook her head, and blinked the tears away. "No, I want to."

Ziva came back in then. "They're being moved now." Seeing the expression on Ashlyn's face, she added, "Your family is safe now."

"Thank you."

"Now, Ashlyn, if there is anything you can remember…"

"Ziva!" Both McGee and Tony yelled.

"No, guys, it's okay. I'm fine."

"You don't sound like it," Tony muttered.

"Are you sure?" Tim asked.

"_Yes_," she insisted. But she was silent.

"Just describe the place you were kept," Tim prompted, knowing that this would be no problem for her.

"Okay. It was a little girl's bedroom, I think, and it hadn't been used in a while. It was too neat, and there was a layer of dust over everything."

"How do you know it was a little girl's room?" Tony asked.

"It was pink, and there were stuffed animals on the bed. She was probably in about first or second grade – there was a desk with pencils and loose leaf paper, but there were still picture books on the shelves, along with Disney Princess movies," she explained this time before the question was asked.

"I couldn't get to the window; he had one of my hands tied to the ceiling fan. It was a complex kind of knot, tied really tight. Even you would have had trouble with it, Mr. Boy Scout," she teased Tim half-heartedly as she rubbed her wrist. Tim remembered that the doctors had found minor rope burns there. "The rope was too short for me to reach the windows or the door. I only had access to the bed and the area around it." Her voice was thickening again, and this time Tony took hold of her other hand.

She closed her eyes against the tears, trying to remember. "I don't remember anything else… I'm sorry. I can't even tell you which direction I was facing; the windows were covered with blackout curtains. I can't remember…"

"We're done." McGee took charge, rising and helping Ashlyn up. "Let's go home, Ashlyn. You need something in your stomach and a good night's rest."

She walked out of the conference room ahead of him, and he turned back. "I need you guys to…"

"Look up all divorced men who live around Willow Grove," Tony finished. "We got this, McGee; take care of your cousin."

* * *

**A/N: Awww! Tony has a heart! I always knew he did! Sorry if Ashlyn is kind of annoying with her observational skills, but think for a minute just how easy life would be if you always remembered exactly where you put your car keys or the TV remote, and how easy detectives would have it if their witnesses could all remember EVERYTHING. I think super-observation would be a great skill to have!**

**Anyway, enough rambling. Whether you liked it or not, please review! And be specific, so I know what to keep up/do away with!**


	9. The Beginning of a Long Night

Ashlyn's face lit up the second she walked through the door. She sat down right away, holding her arms out for the German Shepherd who bounded into them, his tail wagging.

"Jethro!"

Tim laughed at her as he locked the door.

"What? No hi for me?"

"Sarah!" Ashlyn yelled, just as excited, giving Jethro one more pat before standing up to hug her cousin. "I didn't know you'd be here!"

"Me neither," Tim said with a pointed look at his sister.

"Well, Tony called and told me I should come over here, because Ashlyn needs a good meal. One that's _not _takeout."

"Hey! I can cook!" Tim argued indignantly.

Sarah looked away, not answering.

"_You _think I can cook, right, Ashlyn?"

She exchanged glances with Sarah. "Well…"

"Wait." Tim stopped the family banter with that one serious syllable. "Did you say _Tony _called you?"

"Yes, why?"

"Tony DiNozzo?"

"Yes, Tim," she answered impatiently.

"How did Tony DiNozzo get your number?" he demanded, in full big-brother mode.

"I told you he's cuter than Tommy," Sarah answered with a sly grin.

Ashlyn and Sarah watched as all of the color drained out of Tim's face. Right when it looked like he'd pass out, the girls started to laugh. Hard.

"Sorry… It's just…so easy!" Sarah explained between giggles.

"You're so gullible!" Ashlyn added.

"That is _not _funny." The girls didn't stop laughing. "Right, Jethro?" he asked, turning to the dog. "Tell them that's not funny." The shepherd looked up at his master from where he sat beside him, wagged his tail once, and then stood to join the girls.

Still laughing, Ashlyn crouched down to pet him. "Good boy!"

"Unbelievable." Tim shook his head, but there was a smile on his face.

"I told you he likes me better than you," Ashlyn bragged.

"And I've been telling you for years," Sarah teased, "you have no sense of humor."

"Okay, okay, enough. You came over here to cook dinner, right? Get to it. And sine I'm apparently no good in the kitchen, have fun cooking by yourself."

"Well, I'm hungry, so _I'll _help you, Sarah. Just let me wash up."

As Ashlyn moved to the bathroom, the smiles slid off the siblings' faces. When the door was shut, Sarah immediately turned to Tim.

"How is she?"

"I don't know, Sarah. She keeps saying she's fine, but… I don't know."

"Gut feeling?" She was half-teasing. The first Thanksgiving after he began to work for Gibbs full time, he'd amused his family with the sayings he'd picked up on the job. He hadn't even noticed it until his father had pointed it out.

"Yeah. She did cry, once, but now she's acting like she did before: like it never happened, like she can just ignore it and move on."

"I know I'm probably not allowed to ask, but any leads?"

Tim smiled. "I'm not allowed to answer, either. But maybe. We're working on it. Gibbs made me boss on this one."  
Sarah studied his face for a moment, unable to read his tone. "Are congratulations in order?"

He shook his head. "I don't know if I'm ready. I mean, I've been doing this for years, but it's a lot of responsibility. I was thinking I'd get benched because of how close to home this one hits, but I got promoted. It doesn't make sense to me."  
She smiled. "I'm sure you're doing fine. Besides, your whole team is behind you, including Agent Gibbs. He won't let you mess up."

"I know."

The heart to heart was ended there when Ashlyn opened the door again. "All right. What are we making?"

* * *

They were halfway through dinner – spaghetti, the only edible thing in Tim's pantry – when Tim's cell phone rang.

"McGee," he answered as he got up from the table, going into the living room.

_"Hey, it's Tony."_

"What's up?"

_"Just making sure Sarah's there, and you're eating actual _food._"_

"Yeah, she's here. Thanks for that, by the way. But how did you get her number?" It had been bothering him all night.

Tony laughed. _"I work for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, McGee. They pay me to investigate. I took your phone and put her number in my contacts list today when you weren't looking."_

Now it was McGee's turn to laugh.

_"Did she tell you what she made me do?"_

He glanced back at the table quickly before answering, "No."

Tony chuckled. _"She's been reading too much. She made me prove that it was me. I guess, given the circumstances, it was warranted. But still, I wasn't expecting it."_

"What did she ask you?"

_"Wouldn't you like to know?" _came the smartass response.

"Tony," he all but growled. It had been a tough day, and he did not have the patience for teasing like that anymore tonight.

_"All right, all right. She wanted me to tell her what I asked her when we picked her up at the library four years ago."_

"Which was?"

_"You're just full of questions tonight, aren't you? She asked if we were just being nice to her because you're her brother. I told her… Never mind."  
_"You told her what, DiNozzo?"

_"Come on, McGee. Don't play the boss card on me. Besides, it was four years ago Can't you just–"_

"Tony…"  
_"Fine, fine. I told her no, that I'm always nice to hot girls. But I swear, McGee, I _would not _hit on your sister. My rule 7 is Never flirt with your friend's family. And you may be a McGeek, but you're still my McFriend." _Before things could get too mushy, he changed the subject. _"Now for the real reason I called: You might want to make some extra coffee tomorrow morning."_

"Why"

_"Look out your window."_

He did so, and saw a Metro PD car in the parking lot. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he'd actually be able to sleep instead of staying up on alert all night. "Thanks, Tony."

_"Any time. See you in the morning."_

"'Night, Tony."

_"Oh, wait. How's your McCousin?"_

"Really, Tony?" McGee asked, more amused than annoyed by the McNickname he'd given Ashlyn.

_"Yeah, why not?"_

Tim just shook his head, even though he knew Tony couldn't see him. "She's fine… I think. Sarah has her distracted, so she hasn't been thinking about it. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

_"Sounds good."_

* * *

When he hung up, he realized that the girls weren't in the dining room anymore. He found them in the kitchen washing the dishes.

"Shut up, Sarah!" Ashlyn hissed. That piqued Tim's interest, and he stayed silent in the doorway.

"What?" Sarah asked innocently. "I'm just saying what I think. And I think that–"

"We're friends! Just friends!" Ashlyn insisted.

"Well, excuse me for trying to tell you that you're not 'just friends' in his book."

"How would you even know? You've never even met him!"

Tim had had enough of their arguing, and he soon realized that they weren't going to drop a name anytime soon.

"Sarah, don't you have a test tomorrow?" he asked.

Both girls jumped at the sound of his voice, and soap water splashed onto the counter. He got a towel to clean it up as he laughed.

"It's not funny!" they said in unison.

He ignored it, and looked at Sarah, waiting for her answer. "Well?"

"Yes, but–"

"Go, study. We'll be fine making breakfast in the morning."

Ashlyn wrinkled her nose. "Uh, can we do Dunkin' Donuts instead?"

Tim rolled his eyes as his sister grinned.

"Okay, fine. 'Night, Ashlyn."

"Good night."

"I'll walk you to the door," Tim offered.

Once Ashlyn was out of earshot, he murmured, "There's a protection detail outside, plus we have Jethro. She'll be fine."

"I know, but…"

He hugged her. "Don't worry, Sarah. We'll get this guy soon."

Sarah left, and they both were left to hope the words were true.

* * *

Tim walked back into the kitchen to find Ashlyn still standing at the sink, a dish in hand, but she wasn't moving. She was just staring into space.

Careful not to startle her, he gently asked, "Ashlyn? Everything okay?"

Even from behind, he could see her straighten up and force a smile onto her face before she turned around to face him.

"Yeah, Tim, I'm fine," she lied.

He sighed. "Ashlyn, I told you, it's okay. You don't need to be strong, especially around me. We're family."

"And _I_ told _you_, I'm fine," she said stubbornly.

He took the dish from her and set it down before taking her hand and pulling her into the living room and onto the couch.

"You have two minutes to talk to me before I call Sarah to come back here and tell me who you two were talking about in the kitchen while I was on the phone. Don't test me; you know I'll do it, and you know she'll tell me."

She crossed her arms and looked away, calling him on his bluff. "I told you, _I'm fine._"

He shrugged. "Okay. Suit yourself." He pulled out his phone, ignoring the glare she immediately shot him.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?"

He closed his phone as Jethro walked over and put his head in her lap. Tim reached until the distance between them was closed and put his arm around her, giving her a squeeze. "Because we're worried about you."

She sighed, and her annoyance was pushed from her body with the breath. She turned and kissed his cheek. "I know. But you really don't need to worry, Tim. I'll get through it. I doubt I'll be feeling better until you guys catch him."

"We're working on it," Tim promised.

"I know. I'm really tired; would you mind if–"

"No, I don't mind. Let me go get a blanket. Your stuff is by the door."

"Thanks."

She brought the bag over to the couch, and began to go through it, digging out pajamas to change into. She was surprised when, instead of clothing, her fingers brushed against something very soft. A grin spread across her face. She was already making a mental note to thank her mother for packing the comfort that only one of her stuffed animals could deliver when she pulled it out and looked at it.

Immediately, her eyes widened in surprise and fear. It fell to the ground.

It was just a little giraffe, spring green, incredibly soft. It was absolutely adorable. The problem was, it wasn't hers. She'd never seen it before.

She just sat there, frozen, as thoughts of how it could have gotten into her bag flashed through her head.

_Mom would have just grabbed one of my old ones; she wouldn't have bought me a new one. This couldn't be from her,_ she reasoned. _Then who…_

Him. _It must have been him. But how could he have gotten it past security?_

_It doesn't matter _how _he did it. What matters is that he _did.

Still terrified of what that could mean, she found her voice. "Tim!"

Her tone had him rushing to her side, gun drawn, searching for the threat.

Fear having once again overtaken her throat, she simply shook her head to convey the message that the danger wasn't someone, but something.

He holstered his gun as he knelt down beside her. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

She pointed to the stuffed animal with a shaking hand. "That giraffe… It's not mine… I – I've never seen it before. I think – maybe – _he…_"

That was all Tim needed to hear. He was on his feet in an instant, moving to another room. When he came back, he was snapping crime scene gloves onto his hands.

He picked up the giraffe for a cursory examination and noticed a ribbon around its neck attaching a note. His face grim, he held his breath as he opened it, afraid of what it might say.

He visibly relaxed when he read it. He could have laughed, if Ashlyn wasn't still shaking from her fear. He just smiled and handed it back to her, gesturing for her to read it.

She smiled immediately, recognizing the handwriting.

_Ashlyn – sorry it's not one of those corny "Get well beary soon" bears. But when I saw this, your favorite animal in your favorite color, I thought it was the better choice. Especially since you kept telling me you're "fine", so why do you need to get well? Stay safe. – Dan_

She knew that one day – probably one day very soon – Tim would tease her about that scare. But that night, the amusement they both felt was covered by the knowledge that, while it had been nothing this time, her paranoia was warranted. It was a sobering truth and the laughter that they wanted to spill caught in their throats, if only for that night, so that only a slight smile adorned each of their faces.

They didn't say much as they got ready for bed, neither wanting to dwell on or make light of what had happened. It didn't go unnoticed when Tim left the kitchen light on and his door open. Even Jethro seemed to sense that they were on alert, for when he climbed onto the couch with Ashlyn, he laid with his head held off of his paws and his ears perked and ready for intruders.

Tim set his gun on his nightstand where he could easily reach it, and got into bed, knowing they had a long night ahead of them.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, what do you think?


	10. Early

**A/N: I know, it's been a while. But this chapter is very long. It would have been longer - like, twice as long - but it was getting out of hand, so I cut it in half. Enjoy this part, and I'll have the rest for you as soon as possible.**

* * *

It was four thirty when she started screaming.

Tim had been expecting it; he'd been awake on and off all night waiting for the nightmares to cut through her sleep. Even so, he leapt out of bed immediately, making sure he had his gun ready to fire.

When he reached the living room, the sight was a sad one. She was sitting up, burying her face in Jethro's fur as she sobbed. The shepherd was whining miserably and looking up at Tim with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen, including the time that he'd shot him. Tim put his gun down on the coffee table and sat down on Ashlyn's other side.

"You're okay now; he can't get you here," he promised before wrapping her in his arms. She flinched a bit at the sudden sound of his voice, and he noted that it was a good thing he'd spoken before he touched her and startled her.

She turned and threw her arms around his neck. Jethro laid down with his head on her legs.

"I know…but I…I…"

"Shhh…" He wanted to cry, too… or hit something… or someone…

When he realized she was shaking, he let go of her for a moment to bring the blanket up around her shoulder. It was just something to do; he knew the shivers had nothing to do with temperature.

As the sobs quieted, he asked, "Do you want to try to go back to sleep?"

She shook her head vigorously against his chest. He understood exactly what that meant: she was afraid to go back to sleep, afraid that the nightmares would find her again. He looked at his watch; it was already about five o'clock. They'd need to be awake in an hour anyway.

"Do you want to take a long hot shower to try to relax?" he offered. "I'll make breakfast while you're in there. Eggs, bacon, pancakes…"

"Are you…s-sure you have the s-stuff for all of th-that? I d-don't want to m-make you g-go out…"

"Yes, I have it. Go on. Do you want me to get your clothes?" He didn't want another scare like the one from the night before.

"N-no, I'll get them. Th-thanks."

* * *

She walked out of the bathroom forty-five minutes later, looking like she felt a lot better. She smirked at the table, where a plate of scrambled eggs and a mug of hot chocolate waited for her.

"Where are the bacon and pancakes?" she teased.

"You were right; I didn't have them," he answered with a smile. Then he put the smile away. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. He didn't do anything to me," she said, more like she was trying to convince herself than Tim.

"He took you," her cousin argued. "If you ask me, that's a lot more than nothing."

"You know what I mean, Tim. He didn't do anything _after _he took me."

"Are you sure?" he asked. He didn't want to, but _something_ had to make her scream like that. "Because if you tell me otherwise, he might be put away for a lot longer. He won't come after you again; you'll be safe if you tell me. I promise. Don't feel the need to defend him to protect yourself; I swear to you, you don't have to worry about–"

"Tim! He really _did not _do anything other than tie me to the fan. Really. And I'm not just 'defending' him. I don't have Stockholm syndrome, if that's what you're implying, but I won't lie and tell you that he hurt me while I was there."

"Okay…" he said slowly before taking a contemplative bite of his eggs, still not understanding what brought the nightmare on.

She sighed, reading his thoughts. "It's just… I spent the whole time I was in that room wondering what he was going to do to me. I mean, with both you and my dad working the jobs you do, I've heard the stories, not to mention TV and books. I knew my chances weren't great. I guess… I guess my mind hasn't stopped making up those possibilities yet."

He nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Is this what you do at work?" she joked. "Just stay silent when your victims and witnesses open up to you?"

He looked at her, his mind a few years in the past when Sarah had asked almost the same question: "I'm actually impressed! Is this what you do at work? State the obvious and make pretty pie charts?" They even asked it the same way. Back in the present, he shook his head. "_No._ But if you're so curious to know what I _do _do at work, you'd better eat so we can get there."

She saluted. "Yes, sir!"

* * *

"You're here early," Ziva observed as she walked into the bullpen.

"We were awake and decided to come in," Tim said casually, earning a grateful glance from his cousin. He looked at his watch: 5:30. "You're early, too. Aren't you usually running right about now?"

"Yes, but I thought that this case was a bit more important." She gave Ashlyn a quick smile.

Tim nodded in response before turning back to his computer.

"You go running at 5:30 every morning?" Ashlyn asked, impressed.

"Well, not every morning. I did not today," Ziva said with a somewhat forced smile. She had just put it together that Ashlyn had been through a rough experience just a few days before and now both she and her cousin were in NCIS quite early in the morning. Added to that, they both had bags under their eyes that she recognized from her own experience: Ashlyn had been plagued by nightmares.

"Do you always give up your run to come in and work on kidnapping cases, when you've already found the victim?"

"Well, no..." Ziva admitted. "But this case is different."

Ashlyn smiled, and Tim looked up from his computer, finally noticing his coworker's questioning glance. He knew what she was asking, and answered with a subtle nod.

His cousin didn't see it, and told Ziva, "You didn't have to give up part of your routine for me."

Ziva's smile came a bit easier this time. "Ashlyn, I would not have been very happy with running this morning anyway. It is hot, and humid, and it is sprinkling outside. It could start to dump in a matter of seconds."

Tim didn't even look up. "Drizzling, Ziva, not sprinkling. And it's pour, not dump."

"Yes, thank you, McGee."

"And, Ashlyn, if she wants to work, we can't stop her. Even if she is here almost two hours early."

"What? If you want me to leave, I will. I brought an umbrella; there is no need to waste the morning."

Ashlyn gave her a funny look. "You can't go for a run with an umbrella."

"What about a walk? You could join me; the umbrella will cover you, and it will be boring for you to be stuck in here all day."

"Uh...okay. Can I go, Tim?"

He chuckled. "Lee, I've been waiting to get you out of my hair for twenty minutes," he joked.

"Can it, McGregor," she warned good-naturedly as she grabbed her purse.

As the elevator doors closed with Ziva and Ashlyn inside, he muttered with a smile, "I'm _so_ scared."

"Maybe you should be, McGee."

Tim jumped, causing Gibbs to smirk at him as he sat down.

"Hey, Boss. I have to say, I didn't expect you to go home last night. I would have thought you'd stay here and work until you drank all the coffee in the country… So, until tomorrow, at least," he teased, knowing he could get away with it. Tony said things like that almost every day, and had for years. Tim decided that it was time for him to get comfortable around his boss… or at least, a little bit more comfortable. He doubted that _anyone _– with the exception of _maybe_ Ducky – was ever completely comfortable around the intimidating man.

Gibbs, instead of giving him a good-natured head slap, chuckled. "None left in the break room, so I left," he continued the joke, glad that Tim still had humor at a time like this.

Tim laughed, too, before looking pointedly at the cup on Gibbs' desk. "But it looks like you're restocked now, so let's find this dirtbag."

* * *

Ziva held the umbrella over the two of them, and the two walked silently through the shipyard, watching the crafts come to shore, and head to sea. Ashlyn was enjoying the sight; the navy base in Willow Grove was a Naval Air Base, and the aircrafts were much louder and less peaceful than the ships. Even with the obvious pacified expression on her face, Ziva could tell that the smile was merely superficial, and she knew why – had experienced why.

"What time did they start?" she asked, somewhat bluntly. She hoped the suddenness of the question would elicit an answer from surprise.

Ashlyn turned away from the port and blinked at her companion. "What time did what start?"

"The nightmares." Ashlyn frowned and looked back to the ships. "Ashlyn, I know you do not want to talk about it right now, but I can guarantee you that you will feel better." When she received no response, she tried one last thing. "Right now, you are thinking that the less you think about the nightmare, the less likely you are to relive it tonight. That you especially do not want to talk about it with someone who will not understand. Ashlyn, I _do _understand. And please, believe me when I tell you that it will go away much sooner if you tell me about it. Please."

Ashlyn finally looked at her. "What do you mean, you understand?" she asked quietly.

Ziva smiled a tiny smile. "This is not about my demons." After a pause, in which Ashlyn said nothing, she continued, "But if I have to tell you for you to return the gesture, I will.

"Last summer…" She paused for a moment, deciding how much to divulge about her personal Summer from Hell. "Last summer, I was put on assignment. It… It not go as planned, and I was…kidnapped. The man who did it was not as gentle as your captor. I still bear the scars – both physical and emotional. While it was happening, I did not sleep long enough for dreams, only some spells of unconsciousness when my body decided I'd had too much. As bad for me as I know they were, I always wished for them. They saved me – even if only temporarily – from the pain of his torture.

"It wasn't until I got back to America that I was able to sleep deeply enough to dream. It was like I was back there again, and he was still alive and doing his best to make sure that I ended up the opposite. After the first few weeks – in which I did not sleep one full night, and I had gone hoarse from screaming – I could hardly blink without seeing his face grinning evilly at me.

"That was when I found someone I could speak with, someone who saved me, and still saves me. Let me be that someone for you."

Ashlyn had been so caught up in Ziva's emotions that it took her a moment to realize that she was done speaking. She looked up at her, watching the intent expression Ziva wore from the memory fade away, back into a soft concern for the girl's well-being. Ashlyn understood where she was coming from, but she wasn't ready to talk about that quite yet. Besides, she wasn't sure she could remember much about it. It was as if the scream which had woken her had expelled the nightmare from her head. She only hoped that she would be that lucky the next time.

Ziva understood her silence, and decided to take it as a work-in-progress as opposed to a failure at this point. Like everyone else, she wanted to – and would – do whatever she could to protect Tim's cousin.

* * *

A few minutes after six o'clock, the elevators dinged, and Tony walked into the squad room, whistling the Magnum theme. He stopped when he reached his desk and saw that Gibbs, McGee, and Ziva all had their bags on their desks, and yet none of them were there. He looked around, confused, before deciding that everyone must be in the lab – though Abby wouldn't be there that early! – working as diligently as ever to solve the new case.

He strolled through the doors to find Tim at Abby's computer, a look of concentration on his face, and Gibbs standing behind him, staring at the items on the table in front of him: Ashlyn's clothes and the note.

He looked up from his studying and smirked at his Senior agent. "Nice of you to finally make it in, DiNozzo."

Tony just snapped on a pair of gloves. "What do you need me to do?"

"I dunno," Gibbs answered. "Hey, McGee! McGee!"

Tim jumped and turned around. "Do you have something?" he asked before his eyes fell on Tony. He stole a quick glance at his watch and then looked back at him. "It's only ten after six. What are you doing here so early?"

"Well, I was trying to impress the new boss, but apparently I'm still the latest one here. So much for that."

Tim smiled. "Consider me impressed."

"So, where's the McCousin?" he asked, having decided that he enjoyed the nickname too much to only use it once.

Gibbs raised his eyebrows, but Tim just answered as if he'd used her name. "She and Ziva went for a walk around the navy yard."

Tony looked at the small windows toward the ceiling of Abby's lab and frowned. Ziva had been correct; it was "dumping" out there. "But it's raining."

"Ziva had an umbrella," Tim explained. "And Ashlyn needed a distraction."

"Got it."

"Got what?" asked a sleepy-looking Abby, who came trudging into her lab. "Did you find something that I didn't?"

"No, Abs. The only thing I turned on was your computer." He hadn't dared turn on any of Abby's "babies", more than a little afraid of the punishment he'd have to endure just using her computer. But he found it easier to think down here, allowing himself to believe that the clear keyboard helped to keep a clear mind. He was using it at the moment to check out the results from the list Tony had compiled the night before.

"Oh." She was a bit disappointed. Sure, she didn't like _anyone _touching her babies without her permission, but under these circumstances, especially if it was Tim… Well, it was a different story.

McGee turned to Tony. "Will you do me a favor and go out and get Ziva and Ashlyn? Now that everyone else is here, we can actually get some work done."

"Sure. Want me to make it a coffee run, too?" he asked, noting his exhausted features. But Tim had already gone back to typing and clicking, now oblivious to everyone.

Gibbs answered for him. "Yeah, I think we could all use some caffeine."

"Abs? Caf-Pow?" He grinned. She'd been taking a long drink of the one in her hand, and yet she nodded vigorously anyway.

"Okay, try not to choke." She gave him a thumbs-up. "What about you, McBoss? Your usual? …McGee?" But it was no use, he was in another world. He looked at Abby and Gibbs and said, "I'll just get him his stakeout coffee."

Abby giggled, and Gibbs grinned. They remembered Tony's story from when the team had assisted Werth in taking down the man who had killed his friend. Tony and Tim had been in the van, tailing Werth and Ziva, and McGee had gotten absolutely no sleep that week, because he'd been Gibbs' temporary chauffeur. Tim had two cups: one for his coffee, and one for the sugar to put into it. They'd both been huge, even bigger in Tony's over-exaggerated retelling.

Eyeing the bags under his eyes once more, Tony muttered to himself as he left, "I think I'll get him the next size up."

* * *

**A/N: See? Very long. I thought that would be an okay place to stop, and now I'm going to work on the next chapter. Hopefully it will be up within the next few days. Sorry again for the delay!**


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